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Gianni Da Ros's 20-year ban cut to four years

Cyclist Gianni Da Ros's 20-year doping ban has been cut to four years after the Court of Arbitration for Sport agreed the punishment was excessive.

Cas said that, although Da Ros had used and supplied banned drugs, it had not been established that he had attempted to administer them to another rider.

A four-year ban is in line with the standard suspension provided by the World Anti-Doping Code.

The 23-year-old Italian is free to race again from March 2012.

Da Ros was suspended by his Liquigas team after he was arrested on training duty with Italy's national track cycling team in March 2009.

He was one of a number of riders and team staff caught up in an investigation into drug-trafficking by the Milan state prosecutor.

Fellow cyclists Davide Lucato, who admitted buying banned drugs for Da Ros, and Albinio Corazzin were subsequently banned by the Italian National Olympic Committee (Coni) for eight and two years respectively.

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